Page 4 - National Poultry Newspaper

Cooked up with rice, my paler than usual egg was still a lunchtime treat.
Yellow yolk matters
Cant Comment by BRENDON CANT
AS for most egg lovers, I love a nice rich yellow coloured yolk.
feed with a higher pro- tein and hope to see some better colour moving for- ward.”
in xanthophylls, which are natural yellow pig- ments from the carotenoid group.
And I admit to being a little disappointed when I crack one that is a bit off-colour.
While I’m yet to head back for another two doz- en – plus my usual bag of chicken manure for my garden composting efforts and a chat, if my contact is not too busy – I’m yet to be able to report any change in the colour dy- namics.
Xanthophylls is literally Greek for yellow.
Not bad and smelly mind, just not as bright as I’ve come to expect – no matter the season, the hen’s feed or how happy or unhappy the hen may be.
Egg yolks range in col- our from pale yellow to deep orange, with the darker colour signalling the presence of carot- enoids.
Consequently, my most recently purchased eggs from my usual supplier – admittedly laid and bought during one of Perth’s coldest, wettest, stormiest, darkest Ju- lys ever – simply didn’t enrich my morning with anything approaching sunshine.
Of course, I must note that my preferred free range jumbo eggs still taste great, indicating that colour prejudice is unac- ceptable, even when it comes to eggs – however, I still tend to think yellow yolks matter.
Since carotenoid-rich fodder is more common and available in pasture- raised hens, eggs from these chickens are prone to be deeper orange in colour.
The yolks were a little on the dull side.
Provided chicken feed contains the nutrients that trigger ‘orangeness’, the yolk can turn out this deeper colour.
When I questioned my supplier – who I respect
He said he’d been find- ing the same thing when cracking his own eggs for his breakfast.
Free range egg farmers, however, can’t depend on pasture alone to deliver a consistent yolk colour and so most add supplements to the feed.
Though a little on the pale side, this yolk probably reflects the tough July my preferred hens have experienced. Nonetheless, still tasty and nutritious eggs.
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for his honesty, knowl- edge and lifetime of ex- perience as an egg farmer, both indoor and outdoor – I was not overly surprised to learn he agreed with my suspicion that season can have a colourful im- pact on eggs.
Of course, while egg yolk colour may not impact its health value, plenty of chefs, egg farm- ers and home cooks are adamant that yolk colour affects the flavour of the egg and subsequently the dish it’s served up in.
However, any chicken egg can turn out orange, not only the pasture- raised ones.
He went onto say (well... text in this case) that he felt his birds had been challenged with the cold weather.
The more vibrant the shade, the more vibrant the taste, they say... and I confess, I’m one of them.
As hens aren’t machines, there will always be vari- ations in yolk colour, and what is important is that their diet is regularly monitored to achieve the best nutrition for the hens.
“Because we can’t con- trol the temperature in the sheds like the mod- ern systems, this can be a trade-off.”
Most authorities will tell you that yolk colour is in- fluenced by the hen’s diet, doesn’t indicate freshness and has no significant influence on nutrition or f lavour.
And, if that’s done, con- sumers will continue to lovingly lap up luscious nutritious eggs.
“I have changed their
Specifically, the colour derives from plants rich
Page 4 – National Poultry Newspaper, August 2021
Back in warmer months, this was how my usual eggs coloured up.
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